Over the past few decades, the surplus of Vietnam era trained pilots has been a major factor in determining military pilot training requirements. The airline industry, likewise, has relied upon the military for its primary source of experienced pilots. However, with these Vietnam era pilots now approaching retirement age, coupled with recent low military pilot training production rates, the United States faces a potential shortage of highly experienced pilots in both the military and the commercial airline industry. While programs have been developed to meet these shortfalls with increased training, consideration should also be given to improving the aviation education which is the foundation of flight training. In spite of the rapid evolution in the sophistication of modern aircraft, and the increased complexity of the flight and navigation environment, the aviation education process itself has changed very little over the years. This paper, which resulted from research conducted in the Aeronautical Management Technology Department at Arizona State University, addresses potential educational enhancements through the implementation of an integrated aviation learning model, the Aviation Education Reinforcement Option (AERO). The AERO model incorporates elements of the adult education paradigm, learning style theory, cooperative and collaborative learning techniques, and personal computer-based flight simulator programs, as a bridge between the classroom and the flight line. While this model focuses on a teaching strategy to improve retention and application for aviation education, it can also be applied to technical education in any learning environment.